Kirstin Blaise Lobato Takes New York City and Inks Symbolic Tattoo

On her 60th day of freedom, our 200th client exonerated Kirstin Blaise Lobato and her mother Michelle Ravell, visited the Innocence Project in New York City, taking her first plane ride in 12 years. As one of our few female clients, we could not be more excited to work with her and have her visiting, serendipitously, in March to help us kick off our Women’s History Month campaign. She is helping spearhead this campaign with her profound story of courage through a most unjust ordeal.

Lobato was exonerated of the 2001 murder of Duran Bailey on December 29th, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada after a 15-year battle to clear her name.  There was no physical or forensic evidence linking Lobato to this crime, yet she was tried two times for his murder.

“In many ways she embodies what this city is about — she’s tough, unstoppable, audacious, full of life and all heart!” Potkin

“It’s surreal to go from visiting Blaise at the women’s penitentiary outside of Las Vegas where she was locked to walking the streets of New York with her and Michelle,” Vanessa Potkin, her attorney and Director of Post-Conviction litigation, said.

“In many ways she embodies what this city is about — she’s tough, unstoppable, audacious, full of life and all heart!”

Lobato began her Monday in New York answering questions from our Facebook community, addressing the Innocence Project staff and speaking to students from Cardozo Law School.

“I would not be sitting here if it weren’t for everyone,” Lobato said during the Facebook Live. “I believe each person played a role in my release.”

“I got my hashtag 200 [tattoo] to represent it!” Lobato

In the evening she headed to the East Village for a much-anticipated tattoo to symbolize her newfound freedom.

“I am the 200th person set free by the Innocence Project,” Lobato said, proudly showing off her newly inked tattoo design. “And I got my hashtag 200 to represent it!”

“I am the 200th person set free by @innocence. And I got my #200 to represent it!”

-Kirstin Blaise Lobato https://t.co/HiQS3mMOOX pic.twitter.com/eU0IVpNMui

— Innocence Project (@innocence) March 7, 2018

You’ll hear more from Lobato throughout our Women’s History Month campaign. 

Kirstin Blaise Lobato at New York Adorned on March 5, 2018. Photo by Zoe Potkin.

Kirstin Blaise Lobato on her first trip to New York City in March 2018. Photo by Alicia Maule.

Kristin Blaise Lobato and Michelle Ravell at Statue of Liberty on March 4, 2018.

Kristin Blaise Lobato and her legal team, Vanessa Potkin, Adnan Sultan, Melissa Sopher, and Jane Pucher at the tattoo parlor, New York Adorned, on March 5, 2018. Photo by Zoe Potkin

Watch her Facebook live below.